The Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments, with the Apocryphal books,

CAP. XII.

[verse 30] If it bihoueth for [Om. SX.] to glorie, I schal glorie in tho thingis that ben of myn infirmyte, `or freelte [Om. OX.] . [verse 31] God [For O.] and the fadir of oure Lord Jhesu Crist, that is blessid into the [Om. SVX.] worldis, woot, that I `gabbe not, or [Om. AGMNOPQSTVWXY.] lyie not. [verse 32] The prouost [kepere X.] , or kepere [Om. OXY.] , of Da|maske, of the king of the folk Arethe [of Arethe A pr. m. NOX.] , kepte the cite of Damascenys for [Om. SX.] to take [verse 33] me; and by a wyndow in a leep I was latun down by the [a X.] wal, and so I scapide [ascapide V.] his hondis. [verse 1] [Cap. XII. begins here in V.] If it bihoueth [behoue SX.] for [Om. SX.] to glo|rie, sothli it spedith not; forsoth I schal come to the visyouns and reuelaciouns of the Lord. [verse 2] I woot a man in Crist bifore fourtene ȝeer; wher in body, wher out of body [the body AOSTVXY pr. m.] , I woot not, God woot; sich a man rauyschid `til to [vnto GMPQ. til N.] the thridde heuene. [verse 3] And [Om. G pr. m.] I woot such a man; wher in body, or [whether X.] out [verse 4] of body, I noot [not wot S.] , God woot; for he was rauyschid into paradys, and herde priuey wordes, the [Om. V.] whiche it is not leefful to a [eny Q.] man for [Om. SX.] to speke. [verse 5] For sich maner thing [thingis V.] I schal glorie; forsothe for me no thing, no [not O.] but in myn infirmitees. [verse 6] Forwhi and if I schal wilne [wille M. wolen Q.] for [Om. SX.] to [Om. SX.] glorie, I schal not

be vnwys; sothli [for V.] I schal seye treuthe; forsoth [sothely O.] I spare, lest ony man gesse me ouer that thing that he seeth in me, or heerith ony thing of me. [verse 7] And lest the greetnesse of reuelaciouns [reuelacioun N.] enhaunce me `in pride [Om. X.] , the pricke of [of my V.] fleisch, an aun|gel of Sathanas, is ȝouun to me, `the which boffatith [that he buffate V. that buffete X.] me. [verse 8] For which [the whiche S.] thing thries I preide the Lord, that it schuld go awey fro me. [verse 9] And he seide to me, My grace sufficith to thee; forwhi vertu is perfitly maad in infirmite. Therfore gladly I schal glorie in myn infirmytees, that the vertu of Crist dwelle in [Om. K.] me. [verse 10] For which thing I plese to me [me, or gretly delite Q.] in myn infirmitees, in wrong [Om. V.] dispisyngis, `or reprouyngis [Om. GMOPQVX.] , in nedis, in persecuciouns, in angwyschis, for Crist; sothli [for V.] whanne I am syk, thanne I am myȝty. [verse 11] I [and N.] am maad vnwitty [vnwitty, thus commendyng my silf Q.] , ȝe constreyneden me [me, for thoruȝ ȝoure blame I was constreynede Q.] . Forsoth [For V. Sothly X.] I `schulde, or [Om. OVX.] owȝte, for [Om. SX.] to be comendid of ȝou; sothli [for V.] I dide no thing lesse `fro hem [than thei V.] that ben apostlis aboue manere [my maner Q.] . Forwhi [Om. V.] [verse 12] thouȝ [ȝif Q.] I be [am V.] nouȝt [not apostle, as it semeth to summen Q.] , nethelees the [these V.] sygnes of `myn apostilhed [my postlehed G pr. m. MPQ.] ben maad on [in KY.] ȝou, in [on TXY.] al pacience, and singnes, `or miraclis [Om. OQX.] , and grete wondris, and vertues. [verse 13] Sothli what is it, that ȝe hadden lasse [lesse of techynge Q.] bifore [than V.] othere chirchis, no but that I my silf greuyde ȝou not [not, bitakynge of ȝou Q.] ? Forȝyue ȝe to me this wrong [thing Q.] . [verse 14] Loo! this thridde tyme I am redy for [Om. SX.] to come to ȝou, and I schal not be greuous to ȝou; forsothe [for V.] I seke not tho thingis that ben ȝoure, but ȝou. Forsoth [Forwhi V.] nethir sones owen to [for to GMNPQTV.] tresoure, `or make tresour [Om. MOPQX.] , to fadir and modir, but the [the goostly Q.] fadir and modir [the modir N.] to the [Om. O.] sones. [verse 15] Forsoth [For V.] I moost wilfully schal ȝyue, and I [Om. G pr. m. MPQ.] my silf schal be `ouerȝouun [ȝouen ouer V.] for ȝoure soulis; thouȝ I more louynge [louynge ȝou V.] , be lesse loued. [verse 16] But be it; I greuyd not ȝou, but whanne I was sutil

wyse [Om. GV. willy STXY pr. m. wille W.] , I [Om. T.] took [disceued G sec. m. toke, or disceyuede Q.] ȝou with gyle. [verse 17] Wher I disceyuede ȝou by [with O.] ony of hem, `the whiche [whom GMPQ. whiche V.] I sente [sende O.] to ȝou? [verse 18] I preiede Tyte, and I sente with him a brothir. Wher [Whether PQ.] Tyte bigylide [giled O.] ȝou? wher we gon [ȝeden V.] not in the same spiryt? wher not in [and MPQ.] the same step|pis [steppis, or werkis Q.] ? [verse 19] Sum tyme ȝe wenen, that we schu|len excuse vs anentis ȝou. Bifore God in [and in S.] Crist we speken; forsothe, moost dere britheren, alle thingis for ȝoure edyfy|inge [edificacioun N.] . [verse 20] Sotheli I drede, lest perauenture whanne I schal come, I schal fynde [not fynde GMPQ.] ȝou [Om. O.] not [Om. GMP.] which manere [maner men Q.] I wole, and I schal be founde of [at N.] ȝow [ȝou GMPTX.] which maner [maner man Q.] ȝe wolen not [not, scharpely punyschynge ȝou. I dreede Q.] ; lest perauenture stryuyngis, enuyes, sturdynessis, dissenciouns and detrac|ciouns, priuey spechis of [or K.] discord, boln|ynges [bolnynge K.] bi [with O. Om. X.] pride [Om. X.] , debatis be among ȝou; [verse 21] lest [I dreede lest Q.] eftsoone whanne I schal come, God make me louȝ [humble, or low Q.] anentis ȝou, and [so that and Q.] I weyle [biweile V.] manye of hem, that bifore synneden, and diden not penaunce of [on V.] the vnclennesse, and fornycacioun, and vnchastite, that thei han [haden O.] don.